1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image and information processing apparatuses and, more particularly, to an image processing apparatus for printing and outputting an image, based on input data, on a predetermined recording medium and an information processing apparatus for outputting data for printing and outputting the image on the predetermined recording medium, to the image processing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A typical example of such an apparatus is a high-precision, high-speed page printer, and particularly a laser beam printer. Some recent page printers have various functions including a function of printing smooth characters using outline fonts regardless of enlarged/reduced characters.
Most of the apparatuses of this type have functions of emulating conventional printers used with a lot of currently available application programs, to take advantage of their resources. That is, a plurality of printer languages can be translated to emulate different types of printers.
A page printer receives data of one page to print a one-page image. Prior to recording one page, an image such as a character pattern to be printed must be developed in a one-page memory. The destination of each character pattern in the memory must be determined prior to the actual development of each character pattern. In some cases, the specific size and type of character pattern must also be determined.
Assume that print data for a printer whose carriage is simply reciprocated is to be emulated. In this data, a control command for determining only the recording position or the like of the first character is generally present, and character codes simply follow this control command. When this data is to be emulated, data having different formats must be finally generated, and pattern development based on the generated data must be performed. As a result, the printer cannot be free from complicated processing required until pattern development is started.
If a large number of emulation functions are available, the numbers of analyzers (emulation programs) and of bit map development units must each be equal to the number of printer languages. The memory size inevitably increases, resulting in high cost.